dPK's Playing Field

We regret to inform you that we will be closed for business from July 12th to August 25th.

Aside from the odd rushed, exhausted entry of whining or ranting during lunch break every now and then, of course. Insha'Allah.

Take care everybody, and I wish you a great summer!

My mind is strange. It moves in somersaults and cartwheels.

Right now, it is late June, warm and sunny. I'm sitting inside at my desk, busily working on uni stuff.

So what thought pops up in my head?

I want us to do a Christmas calendar over at perfect_duet this year. People claiming a day, and posting something, art, fic, anything, on their day. From December 1st to 24th. We did a kink meme, I'm sure we can find 24 people willing to write a drabble or make an icon.

...Dear mind, please stop wandering off, we are on a deadline here and plotting fandomy Christmas is not important right now.

(Yes, this does warrant the ONOZ icon. Deadline.)

*is surrounded by piles of copied articles*

*reaches with one arm to turn over another page*

I quite like the colour of my skin this time of the year. It's more of a not-paleness than a proper tan (I do tan, but not easily), but I have exchanged my winterly pastiness for this light golden hue all over (almost all over) my body, and it makes me feel pretty. I wish I could bottle it. (Yes, I've heard of self-tanning lotion, but I've also heard that it's de facto more of an oranger than a tanner, and I'm fond of not being pale, but not desperate.)

*shrugs*

*returns to work*

Yes, in German. We decided we'd cave and rather watch it dubbed than not watch it at all.

Some day in the far future:
- Why did you leave your home country?
- I just couldn't take it anymore.
- The general disenchantment with politics? The cultural and educational policy curtailing the soft sciences more and more? The high unemployment rate?
- The dubbing. *breaks down sobbing*

A lot has already been said about this movie, and I don't have to repeat it all. Great special effects, lots of good-looking young actors, decent writing. I absolutely loved Simon Pegg's Scotty, he got to me in a way TOS Scott never did. I did like Karl Urban's McCoy, even though I wish we'd seen more of him (imo they gave all the original main characters a certain amount of screen time just for the sake of having them in the movie, whether they were needed or not. Zachary Quinto is a god, even though I don't like a lot of what they did to the character. Pine's Kirk was as I expected, the rebellious struggling hero, all-American, and an insubordinate, immature arse (sorry, I just don't see in him what I saw in TOS!Kirk). And Uhura, sexy and confident as she was, turned from the capable officer we know from TOS into someone who uses her relationship with a superior officer to get a position (which is also something I do not like at all with their portrayal of Spock) and just leaves her post. Then again, everybody leaves their station at will except McCoy. Wait, he isn't stationed on the bridge? ...Everybody leaves their station at will. But since there doesn't seem to be any working military structure at all, with rules, seniority, or, *gasp* hierarchy, I guess that's fine. I just wish they'd told me at the beginning that this AU turned AU long before the first scene of the movie, which is why the characters are different, and not just younger, more immature versions of the TOS ones, and this Star Fleet is not a fleet at all, despite what it's called. Because in a fleet the suspended cadet who hasn't even graduated would not just be made captain of the flagship, being previously made acting captain or not (which is excusable, since there didn't seem to be any officers on Enterprise with her crew of several hundred people. Why else would a bunch of cadets hold all the important positions?). And that, as a rule, in this 'verse things don't have to make sense. Btw, Uhura did order Cardassian drinks in that bar, didn't she? Does anyone know if we even know the Cardassians yet?

Wow, this turned out a lot rantier than planned. I did enjoy the movie, a lot, really. And I will get the DVD. But I clearly don't see this movie as separated from TOS as I told myself I did. I guess I'm more of a trekkie than I thought, and TOS is closer to me than I realised. I'm afraid it'll take me a few more viewings to stop flailing at the screen every ten seconds and complain about the lack of rules, TOS!character, or plain sense.

Now. Anyone have any new!Scott slash fic?

EDIT: Ha, I knew it! First canonical contact with Cardassia is in TNG! Mistake, Abrams, mistake! Or you wanna tell me the destruction of the Kelvin changed that, too?
Also, I feel like such a geek right now.

Copied from latin_cat

Rules:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions into Flickr Search.
b. Using ONLY the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Mosaic Maker. Change rows to 3 and columns to 3.
d. Save the image and post it.

Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite color?
3. What is your favorite food?
4. Favorite drink?
5. Dream vacation?
6. Favorite hobby?
7. What you want to be when you grow up?
8. What do you love most in life?
9. Best self-description?

( Beware, big picture. )

First, the fic.

Surgeon's Mate by belmanoir. No, seriously. It's Star Trek TOS, Spock/McCoy, and it has Aubreyad references. Not a crossover, but Kirk certainly has good taste when it comes to literature in this. And Spock has good taste when it comes to chosing a potential mate. McCoy, though, just does not get it, even though he notices something is not right.

And now for the DVD.

By now you may or may not have heard me or tootsiemuppet squee about Aire Libre. It's a Venezuelan movie from 1997 about Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland, and it is... How can I explain it? You know how Master and Commander is The Naval Romance? Well, Aire Libre is The Naturalist Romance. It is also the most elusive movie I've ever known. I've watched it twice so far, but tootsiemuppet's copy is so far away, and I need this movie, I need it. So yesterday I finally gave in, went to the production company's site for the movie here, and wrote an email, asking how I might get my own copy.

And you know what?

It'll be released on Amazon! XD

I am happy that you have heard good news about Aire Libre. The film will be shortly available through Amazon, but it´s not yet ready. I don´t yet know the date but hopefully it will be within, no more than a month...

Regards,

Luis Armando Roche - Director/Producer

Isn't this great news? Isn't it?

You should all get the DVD! It's a wonderful movie, and it's a tiny, but very loving and grateful fandom. There is art (one entry worth by tootsiemuppet), there is fic (one ficlet by yours truly), all over at dearphilos, the Natural Scientist Squee community here on LJ, an active little comm with five posts yesterday (which was also the day of its opening, so there's five posts all in all).

It's hot here right now. Really hot. 34°C hot. In hindsight, I can't remember what made me think it'd be a good idea to go to Ikea. By bike.

No, wait, I can. I thought a bit of exercise would be nice and there'll be head wind and most of the way is through forest, so it'll be shadowy and fresh.

Well, turns out - still hot as hell. And all that because I had a coupon for a bag of tea from the Sweden Shop due this week.

Excuse me while I crawl into my shower and die.

It's hot. Really hot. Oven-hot. And it'll be even hotter tomorrow.

The dPK cannot be held responsible for melted schoggi.

Welcome new MandC friends!

And hey old MandC friends!

You know what? Random friend!hugs for everybody, MandC or not!

Just so you know, though, I'm a horribly boring person. Which I probably should have told you before you friended me. Oops?

*type type type*

*backspace*

*click click*

*backspace*

...I really should do this before the Gilly comes here, or I'll whine at her for days and eventually rope her into holding my hand while I post.

*copy&paste*

*backspace*

*wibble*

Ah, screw it. I can just throw it out here and then run like hell and ignore I ever put that link up here.

Remember, you are my friends. You are not allowed to mock me.

*throws*

*runs like hell*

Because while I do have laptop trouble (it is dying from old age and keeps hanging up, among other things), AOL is being complicated, too, and I really don't need extra internet trouble. Ergo I'll get a phone&internet flat from another provider, yay! Additional phone flat (only German landline, though, so not of interest to you) because the new combined flats are cheaper than internet flat + basic phone fee.

Due to some technical something-or-other I might find myself minus internet for two to three days though, while they do whatever they need to do with the circuits. Which, okay, I will survive. ...I just wish they'd give me a more specific date than "soon". I need to mentally prepare.

Just. Gone. The mp3-player is on, but there's nothing coming out of the headphones.

I cannot live without my portable music.

*panics*

*tries various combinations of laptop, headphones, and mp3-player*

Okay, so what's broken is the bit where I plug the headphones in. It doesn't connect anymore.

So, is this what I get for buying a cheap player? Or is this where I feel vindicated for buying a cheap one, because they way I treat it, taking it jogging and on excavation, dropping it, exposing it to dust and heat, I'd regret buying an expensive, high-quality one, and then losing it within a few years because of the way I treat it.

Either way, I need a new player. Even though I really can't afford one right now. But even less I can live without my soundtrack.

*opens Amazon, Saturn, mediamarkt, Müller, and Karstadt*

*clicks around*

Got a 4 GB one for 22 euros, no postage. Good? Good.

*orders*

*calms down* Better.

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

Copied from latin_cat



And from the more detailed test result:

They tend to live according to the motto “the genius controls the chaos” - which is normally the case so that they often have a very successful academic career.

I hope so!

And, hee, I even got a green color code! :D

So, after some affronted huffing and puffing at the world in general (and really, how does it dare snow the day after I declare spring?), I decided, to hell with it, the sun's still shining, I'll go out for a walk in the snow.

And whoa, it really is shiny outside! The streets are of course already slushy, but the rest? The fields and meadows, paths and tracks, all are covered in pristine, fluffy snow, gleaming in the sun. I've been tramping around for the better part of an hour, enjoying the beauty of it and the sound of snow crunching under my feet.

By the time I got home I was covered in snow up to my knees from veering off the paths sinking deep into snow-covered grass, and my boots, socks, and trousers are currently crowding the bathroom radiator while I'm sitting under my blanket.

( Pic spam! )

Maybe yesterday's declaration was a little bit premature...

There is snow. Everywhere.

*headdesks*

I went jogging. First jog of the year, wheeeeee! Okay, due to wintery laziness and resulting unfitness I alternated between jogging and walking, one song this, one song that. But I say it still counts. First jog of the year.

This officially makes it spring now by dPK!calendar.

Yes, I had to digress from my usual (i.e. spring and summer, maybe fall if I manage to start again after excavation before the cold hits) route, because parts of that are still mudbeds instead of ways. And holding my mp3-player in gloved hands (fingerless gloves, though) while looking at the still-white mountains felt surreal. But the sun was shining, bright and with promises of warmth soon to come, and the fields show the first, tentative dusting of fresh green.

XD Hoodelally!

German lottery has a jackpot of 25 milion Euros right now, which resulted in me leaving my desk and books to trudge through wind and rain (aka storm and buckets of water raining form the sky) to the shop and play.

And then the lady behind the counter asked me for an ID.

Bzuh?

It's just, with the 25-million jackpot, there are more controllers around to make sure no one under the age of 18 plays, sorry.

Uhm. Okay, that's fine. See, here's my student ID (in Germany you don't start university under the age of 19), and here's my pass (which says dPK was born in 1984 and ergo is of age.

Ah, oh, uhm, yes, I'm really sorry! Good luck tomorrow!

Oh well, I guess it's kind of a compliment. Thank you.

I have to admit, it's been a while since anyone's asked for my ID. Somehow I find this highly amusing, and, in a way, flattering. Evidently I have not yet developed the outdoor-archaeologist's leathery skin.

And on a random note, it's currently paper-season, so I'm mostly ignoring LJ in favour of RL at the moment. I'll be more actie once that's over with, early February.

I did not stay up until 6 am reading Professionals fic.

*passes mirror*

Oh, look, a raccoon! ...Wait. Uhm. You know what, never mind.

*stumbles into shower*

Did Hisbollah fire those "at least three rockets" from Lebanon that hit Israel?
Does it even matter?
In retaliation to those rockets, Israel has fired on Lebanon.
If Hisbollah hasn't taken action before, it'll do so soon.
Having seen it coming doesn't make it any easier.
How long until we have a full-blown war again? Until I turn on the tv, see a bombed Beirut, and try to, dread to recognize places and faces I know?

Damnit. Damnit damnit damnit.

Unlike those living there, we have the luxury to ignore what's happening. We can turn off the news, and the bombs will stop. It has no real impact on us.

It does have an impact on places I've been, people I know, though. And this makes it harder to ignore.